drug therapy

Question 1

what are some strengths of drug therapy?

Answer 1

1. supporting evidence for its effectiveness
   - meta-analysis of 65 studies involving 6000 patients
   - some patients were taken off medication and then given a placebo and within 2 months, 64% relapsed in comparison to 27% who stayed on meds
   - suggests antipsychotics are an effective treatment, which may explain why it’s the most common treatment

Question 2

what are some weaknesses of drug therapy?

Answer 2

2. the fact that it is the first prescribed option, it may reinforce that their diagnosis is out of their control
   - because it allows patients to ignore any environmental factors that may worsen their symptoms as indicates drug therapy will be enough to treat their condition
   - doesn’t allow the patient to make choices to help improve their symptoms
   - other options like CBT
   may be seen as more effective by addressing environmental factors
3. can only help alleviate symptoms
   - medication must be taken regularly and in some cases, for the rest of the patient’s life otherwise it will lead to relapse of symptoms
   - considered as more of a weakness as some antipsychotics like typical drugs’ side effects can affect a person’s daily life and functioning
   - study showed that 74% of those with chronic Sz had to discontinue treatment after 18 months due to intolerable side effects
   - despite its ability to treat symptoms, it is not the only suitable treatment